Failure of quit smoking service strengthens calls for a new approach

New figures that show less than half of smokers succeed in quitting through NHS services have strengthened calls for a radical rethink of the UK’s failing approach to smoking cessation.

The NHS Information Centre announced today that 788,000 people used quit smoking services in England this year at a cost of £84.3m but more than half of them (384,000) returned to smoking shortly afterwards. Even among those who did quit, many are likely to have returned to smoking in the subsequent months.

The new figures prove that the quit smoking policy is failing to save a large proportion of smokers from the most harmful effects of cigarettes, according to leading UK electronic cigarette manufacturer E-Lites.

The company is calling for a closer look at the benefits of harm reduction, rather than a devotion to smoking cessation.

E-Lites director Dermot Ryan said: “What these new figures tell us is that while quitting services are helpful to many smokers, a majority of them are still not being helped. So perhaps it’s time to look at other options and consider the benefits of harm reduction. Products like E-Lites provide smokers with the nicotine they crave, but without the harmful carcinogenic effects of tar, tobacco and hidden chemicals. We believe it’s a far more realistic approach for those who cannot quit, or do not wish to quit. If only more people realised the healthier alternatives that are open to them.”

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E-Lites was established in the UK in 2007 and is already a leader in its field, producing some of the most advanced electronic cigarettes on the market. The company is expanding nationally and internationally as demand grows for its innovative products.

Its latest range of new-generation E-Lites are the result of extensive UK research and development.

The evolution of E-Lites has been supported by significant investment in design and testing to ensure its electronic smoking devices are made to the highest standards and deliver the most authentic and luxurious smoking sensation possible. The company’s manufacturing facility uses the latest state of the art micro-electronic technology, ensuring E-Lites set the standard within the electronic smoking industry. E-Lites are globally patented, internationally trademarked, and are backed by an international parts replacement guarantee.

Michael Ryan, one of the founding directors of E-Lites, is also chairman of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association (ECITA), a representative body which provides advice, guidelines and support to members, as well as working to ensure the correct regulatory framework is applied to such products. For more information, visit www.ecita.org.uk

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